How to Make Mexican Horchata (Agua de Horchata)

How to make Mexican Horchata, authentic Mexican rice milk drink with cinnamon – perfect for serving cold or warm! This rice drink is rich, creamy, and refreshing – and can be made dairy-free!

I have already shared a recipe for rice milk, now I’m back to share my newest discovery – Mexican horchata. Agua de horchata uses a base of white rice to create a refreshingly creamy, sweet drink to cool you down on warm days.

What does horchata taste like? Think of it as rice pudding in drink form, with subtle hints of vanilla and cinnamon combined with the creamy Mexican rice milk. 

Serve it up year-round with ice during the warmer months, and serve heated during winter. This Agua de horchata is a perfect party drink for Cinco de Mayo, Thanksgiving, New Years’, etc. 

Best of all, this easy horchata recipe is made up of largely pantry staples and requires minimal effort. Check out this compiled list of dairy-free milks!

What Is Horchata?

Horchata (pronounced or-chah-tah, also called “Orxata” in Valencia) is a general term for several types of plant-milk beverages. For example, in Spain and Africa, “Horchata de chufa” is made with soaked and sweetened tiger nuts. In Mexico, “Horchata de Arroz” is made with white rice and cinnamon base. Meanwhile, in Puerto Rico, “horchata de ajonjoli” is made with a base of roasted sesame seeds, cinnamon, and vanilla. 

Horchata is also referred to as a type of “agua fresca” (literally meaning “fresh water” in Spanish), which usually refers to a fruit water drink. 

There are several other varieties made around the world too. For this homemade version, I’m making Mexican horchata using a base of white rice and cinnamon, soaked and then blended into a creamy rice-based drink. 

While authentic Mexican horchata is dairy-free, I’ve added a little dairy for super creamy results. In addition, though, I’ve included the option to make vegan horchata too!

The Horchata Ingredients

• Rice: you need UNCOOKED white rice for this recipe. I used regular long-grain white rice, though I imagine that most white rice will work: jasmine, basmati, short-grain, or long grain. 
• Cinnamon: you’ll need one cinnamon stick for subtle flavor, two for a stronger infusion in this Mexican cinnamon drink. Although cinnamon powder works too, I strongly recommend using the stick.
• Milk: condensed milk (dairy or coconut) and evaporated milk. You could also make your own. If you can’t find/make evaporated milk, you could use whole milk instead (dairy or dairy-free). I recommend cashew milk or coconut milk (tinned).
• Vanilla paste: this is technically optional, but I love the added flavor.
• Water: water is needed for two steps – for rinsing the rice and for soaking it. 

Optional add-ins and variations

• Sweetener: if the condensed milk doesn’t make the Mexican horchata sweet enough to your taste, then you can add a little maple, honey, or sugar/sweetener of your choice. 
• Cardamom: just a pinch will help enhance and add depth of flavor to the agua de horchata. 
• Almonds: raw almonds can be added to the rice when soaking for an even richer, creamier drink. I recommend using around ¼ cup. 
• Horchata latte: simply prepare the Mexican horchata as written below and then serve with a shot of espresso for a simple horchata latte. Use cold-brew coffee and ice for a horchata iced latte.
• Vegan Horchata (Horchata agua fresca): substitute the condensed milk for coconut condensed milk. The evaporated milk can be substituted with a dairy-free alternative of other dairy-free milk (it won’t be quite as creamy as using evaporated, but still delicious). 

You can also make specific “flavored” horchata recipes, including:

• Boozy horchata: feel free to add a little rum or Kahlua to each glass of Mexican horchata (to taste). 
• Fruity horchata: you can make a delicious mango horchata or strawberry horchata. To do so, add around one cup of fresh mango/strawberries (or tinned mango pulp) to the blender when blending the drink. Increase the amount to taste. 
• Coconut horchata: using coconut milk or coconut cream and optionally add some shredded coconut when blending for a rice-coconut milk blend.

How to Make Mexican Horchata Agua Fresca?

Step 1: Soak the rice

First, rinse the rice. We’ll be using the ‘soaking’ water to blend, so rinsing the rice is a must for a clean drink. 

Then add the rice, cinnamon, and water to a large bowl and set aside to soak overnight (or for around 12 hours) either at room temp or in the fridge (lightly covered). 

During this time, the cinnamon stick will expand and the rice will begin to soften – ready to blend into creamy Mexican rice milk.

Step 2: Blend the horchata

Add the soaked rice mixture and remaining ingredients (evaporated milk, condensed milk, and vanilla) to a high-speed blender and process until you have a fairly smooth, creamy-looking mixture (the rice should be almost completely ground). 

If your blender isn’t super strong, it may be a good idea to grind the cinnamon separately, first.

Step 3: Sieve and serve the horchata agua fresca

Pass the blended Mexican rice milk through a fine-mesh sieve or nut milk bag to collect all the rice/cinnamon pulp, pressing/squeezing to get out as much liquid as possible. 

You can optionally keep the pulp/powder in the drink, though you’ll need to shake it well before drinking. 

Then it’s time to enjoy the drink.

How to Serve Mexican Horchata?

I recommend serving it up in a tall glass with ice and a sprinkle of extra cinnamon. 

However, you can also serve the agua de horchata warm alongside Valencian fartons (similar to how horchata de chufa is served). Just note that, when warmed, it may thicken somewhat due to the starches in the rice milk drink.

How to Make Ahead and Store

Make ahead: You can leave the rice to soak for up to 48 hrs in the fridge, ready to blend. I don’t recommend going further than that, though, or else the rice can begin to ferment. 

Fridge: store the Mexican horchata in an airtight container in the refrigerator for between 3-5 days, though it will taste freshest in the first day or two. Don’t keep out of the fridge for longer than two hours. 

Make sure to give it a little shake before serving, as some sediment may settle at the bottom of the drink.

FAQs

Recipe Notes & Variations

• If the drink is chalky: then you likely haven’t strained it well enough. I recommend passing it through a sieve/cheesecloth a second time. You shouldn’t have to do this if using a nut milk bag.
• Blending the rice pre-soak: there are two main methods for preparing horchata. Once follows my recipe, the second has you blend the rice mixture before allowing it to soak. I prefer waiting for the rice to soften before blending as I prefer the results. However, feel free to try both methods to choose your preferred one. 
• Increase the cinnamon: if you want more cinnamon flavor, you may want to use two cinnamon sticks or a combination of a cinnamon stick and ground cinnamon. 
• If the drink is too thick: feel free to thin it with some additional milk or water. 
• To speed up the soak: instead of the long overnight soak, you can use boiling water and soak the rice mixture for around 4 hours. I prefer the long soak, but this will do in a pinch.

More Refreshing Summer Recipes

• Bloody Mary (Virgin or classic)
• Mango lassi
• Blueberry Ube milkshake
• Tropical guava smoothie
• Tepache De Piña
• Best Mangonada Recipe (Chamoyada)

If you try this Mexican Horchata recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!